Giving to Christ all year round--March

The Gift of Obedience...by Merrilee Boyack
When I think of obedience, I think of skiing.  Sometimes, one of my skis will just slowly drift off the straight track.  it doesn't take too long for that to become dangerous and painful!!  One time I was skiing in deep powder and let one ski drift.  Soon I found myself rolling head over heels down a mountain.  Other times, a ski can catch a sharp edge in the snow and jump off the track.  Both examples are very serious, and a good skier tries to fix the problem immediately.
Obedience is like that.  Sometimes we get a little casual, a little lazy, and we allow a small disobedience to creep into our lives and we start to drift.  Sometimes we commit a clear sin that jolts our spiritual progress off track.  Both are dangerous.  Both need constant vigilance to prevent them from happening. 
We might keep most of our beharior in good order, going forward and staying on track, but we know that there may be one thing, or perhaps a few things, in our lives that is not in control.  Sometimes we resist the efforts of the Spirit to correct us and stubbornly hang on to that particular sin or behavior.  We know it's wrong, but we're just so resistant to change!!
Obedience is a great blessing to us.  The Lord looks on us and says, "You can be happier.  You can be better.  Here's how!"  He repeatedly give us commandments--simple, straightforward, and clear commandments---and then promises us that He will bless us and we will be happier, we will be better.
Personal Scripture Study:  Read Luke 1 about Mary and Elisabeth and their obedience to the Lord.
Family Devotional:  Read about Nephi's obedience in 1 Nephi 3-5.  Discuss not only how Nephi was blessed for his obedience, but how future generations were blessed because of his actions.  Try to memorize as a family 1 Nephi 3:7
Family Home Evening:  Invite family members to share experiences of when they were obedient.  Parents could talk about serving a mission or being sealed in the temple.  Children could talk about a time when they did what they were told.  As a family, discuss how each person feels when he or she was obedient and what blessings came as a result.  (As a parent, you may also relate an experience when maybe you weren't obedient.  Share the outcome and what you learned)  You can also play Shepherd Simon Says with smaller children.  Play just like the game Simon Says.  You may want to dress up like a shepherd.  Kids can learn to follow the shepherd.  Learn to be obedient to what is asked.